In an interview with AFP, the boss of SNCF travelers also indicates that most trains will circulate for the controllers’ strike on May 9, 10 and 11.
“We are far from a dark week, there will be no week at a stop, but a week as normal as possible,” the CEO of SNCF Travelers Christophe Fanichet said in the AFP interview before a week marked by several calls for strikes in the public group.
“Circulation will be normal from Monday, 5 to Thursday, May 8 on TGV,” he said and for the controllers’ strike on May 9, 10 and 11, most trains will circulate. “If we have to cancel certain trains, we aim to offer each customer to travel on the day scheduled for their destination,” promised Christophe Fanichet.
Disturbances located on certain regional lines or in Ile-de-France are also to be expected, he warned. Several categories of staff are called upon to strike on Monday by the CGT-Cheminots and South Rail to claim an increase in remuneration and better anticipation of the schedules, too often modified at the last minute according to them. For the 8-May bridge, a collective influential of controllers called National ASCT collective (CNA) joined the call for mobilization, giving it a magnitude.
In addition to the promise to send everyone by train, Christophe Fanichet has committed to this “that all customers were warned before leaving (on weekends, editor’s note) concerning their return train”. “That is to say being warned before the start of the bridge on Wednesday for circulation until Sunday, May 11,” he detailed.
Refundable tickets
“We are committed to giving freedom and choice to our customers,” added Christophe Fanichet. “I understand that some can worry, and I really get me, that we put them in this difficult situation,” apologized the boss of the railway company.
-“Even if we manage to transport everyone, customers may prefer to give up their trip (…). And therefore as such, now, all the tickets are exchangeable, reimbursable, free of charge”, on the TGV Inoui like the Ouigo, for the week of May 5 to 11, announced Christophe Fanichet.
“I said that one could not afford a strike and I confirm it, first because customers will try competition (carpooling or bus, or our railway competitors) and I do not want to give my customers the desire to go elsewhere,” warned the manager.
“We already have thousands of less reservations for this 8-May, SNCF Bashing ‘bridge in debates and customers who will think twice for their next vacation,” he listed, without wanting to quantify the shortfall for the company.
Profit -sharing bonus
“We have been clear and consistent since the start of the exchanges we have had, we gave all his chance to social dialogue, we made more than 35 meetings,” he said. “We heard and moved, (…) We will give readability on the weekly rest of the TGV chiefs, at six months and no longer to three months,” he promised. And the highly criticized schedule management tool will be adapted.
“On the other hand, it was clearly said that on remuneration, it would be no, because we did the job, more than 2.2% (average increase, editor’s note) for 2025, it is much more than inflation,” insisted the CEO.
“In May, 1,300 euros gross of profit -sharing will be paid to the 65,000 SNCF travelers agents, whose edges. So it’s more than 100 euros per month over the year, thanks to this profit -sharing,” also underlined Christophe Fanichet.
